Talk:Off to the Field!
﻿ Adaira- On the Move Everything was going well until the car accident. I trekked through the undergrowth, making my way to nowhere. My feet hurt, and I was tired and alone and upset. I missed Aaron. I wished that he were with me. If I knew Aaron, which I did, he was probably worried to death about me. He knew why I had run, but he didn't necessarily approve. I wondered if he would have made the same choice. I walked next to the road, listening to the sound of the cars zooming past. I was walking on the right side of the road, as was the custom in my country. I should have moved. I walked, and bent down to tie my shoelace. I didn't see the wildly swerving car coming my way. I only felt the impact, seconds later. All I could think of was of the pain, and then I was captured by unconciousness. Aaron- o.o I can honestly say that that phone call I recieved was the worst one I had ever gotten. Worse than the one my parents gave me, yelling at me to never come home, even. "Hello?" "Mr. Darkweed?" There was a delicate voice on the other end of the line. "Are you related to a Shadow Darkweed?" "She's my sister," I replied, wondering exactly what kind of trouble this was leading to. "Oh-oh okay." The woman stuttered. "Is there something wrong?" I ask. "Mr. Darkweed...I am afraid that your sister has been in an accident." The woman said slowly. Immediately, my brain started working. What kind of accident? Was she dead? What happened? "She was hit by a drunk driver earlier this morning. Two young people witnessed the accident and called the emergency line. The driver did not survive. Your sister is alive, but in a lot of pain. She has two broken bones and several scrapes and burns." "Where is she?" I asked, grabbing my things and herding the children in my car to my car. The woman gave me directions, and I never let the gas pedal rise until I had parked the car in the hospital parking lot. I ran up the stairs to her room. I saw my baby sister, hurt and weak on the bed. She woke up, and she hugged me, despite her broken wrist and one cracked rib. She seemed happy to see me. I gave her a big hug, and I didn't let go. Kenzie - Confront and Conquer Ian paced in front of me, clearly frusterated. His "oh-so-perfect" face was flushed red from trying to catch me when I ran. Actually, I let him catch me. There was nowhere to run if I escaped. "You are a traitor, McKenzae." My hands were bound behind my back, but I felt nothing either way. Not anger. Not joy. Not hate. Nothing. "Maybe I am. But I'll never be as much of a traitor as you are." Ian's hand made a sharp, hard contact with my cheek. A fire-like pain danced across my skin. "You will regret every word you ever said to me, McKenzae. I will ensure it." Aaron- Blah Adaira wanted to leave immediately, which wasn't incredibly surprising. Of course I said no, which is why we left immediately. Adaira seemed distracted. I wondered if I had made a mistake. Then Ian shoved Kenzie into the street and I had to go rescue her. Kenzie - Another day, Another fight I was thrown onto the ground, my hands still bound with a tight rope that was cutting through my skin. It hurt to move. I felt a sharpness in my leg that was unnatural, and I desperately hoped it wasn't what I thought it was - but I had felt too many times to be wrong. "You'll pay," I hissed to Ian, gritting it through my teeth because of pain blacking out most of my thinking. "We'll see." Ian laughed at me, how I was helpless on the ground. "We'll see if you've still got any life left when I'm done with you." He walked away, disappearing. My consciousness almost followed - then I saw someone over me. Aaron. Aaron- Babysitter Extrordinaire I untied Kenzie quickly. I would have said something witty and annoying had I not known that Kenzie probably would die if I didn't help her like this. "Thanks." She breathed once she was free. I merely picked her up and tossed her in the back of the van. Nicely. There was a brief reunition scene, and then Adaira and Kenzie began talking. However, as the drive became longer, the discussion became more heated. All I know is that I had to pull over the care to separate the cat fight in the way back and then devide the car with masking tape so that they wouldn't interfere in each other's space. Girls. Kenzie - Old Friends Friendships are bonds. Without them, one is free from care - with them, one is stronger. So the choice really becomes, strength or freedom? It may seem cold to think of it that way, but I can't help it. I've been on my own. You never know who will betray you. I look at Adaira, and I see everything in people I had trusted - before they turned on me. I have to be ready for her to do that. I know she will. Everyone else did. It's an unspoken rule - Cahills don't get along. I felt my leg nervously. I had to get it taken care of without letting anyone else know. Injury is weakness. Weakness is fault. Fault is death. ''No one needed to know anyway. It was my problem, not theirs. "How did Ian find you." "Ian's a stalker like that." "Why did he find you." "We had personal problems to settle." "What type of problems." "Old problems." "Like?" "Like fights he doesn't want to give up even though they're as pointless as his own life is." "..." "Yeah." Aaron looked at us in the mirror. "Girls, please be nice." I felt my eyes flicker with frustration at those words. Cahills weren't "nice". Had he completely ignored the display before? "Where are we going, anyway?" Adaira- Debating Kenzie had changed. I moved spots so I was next to my brother, up front. I closed my eyes, but did not think. Kenzie was a Cahill now. I guessed we all were...but Kenzie now acted like one. She was hurt probably. All she cared about was being weak or strong. She cared about herself. She cared about no one else. Alright then. Kenzie obviously didn't need or want me. Therefore I should probably just stay away. But what if she needed help? She certainly wouldn't come to me if she needed help anymore. Kenzie had surrounded herself in grief and pain. Despite my anger, I still managed to pity her. She had no family, really. She was alone in the world. And she didn't know anything anymore. Poor Kenzie. "Where are we going, anyway?" I heard her ask from the backseat. "If you tell us where you want to go, we'd be happy to drop you off." I replied. Aaron shot a glare at me before returning his eyes to the road. "I don't know, Kenzie, but we're not dropping you off anywhere." Aaron said, suddenly locking all the doors. I rolled my eyes. "And you aren't going to make a break for it either, Dare." "Hmph." I turned and looked out of the window. Aaron drove us in silence for a while. "I want to go home." I said. "So do I, Dare. We'll get there someday." Aaron turned my head so I could see his smile. "With a cotton candy machine." I reminded him. "And a big banister." He agrees. I smiled back, and grabbed one of the CDs on the floor. I popped it into the stereo, and sang all the lyrics with my big brother all the way to the next rest stop. Kenzie - Resentment I envied Adaira. She had a family. She had support. She didn't have lying Lucians that were always out to kill and betray her. Her branch worked as a team. Her family worked as a team. She and her brother, even they were a team. They were family. All of them. I didn't want to be a Lucian. I never did. I had dreams of being a staged combat master, teaching everyone how to swing a quarterstaff and not really, truly hurt anyone. I used to think pain was bad. I think... I think it was the Lucians who finally broke me. It was a long time ago. My parents had been killed -I had been told they had abandoned me. My sister disappeared from existance. Me? I was sent to the Lucian training center. For nine years, I trained there. I never saw the outside world until my ninth year, when they called us out on missions. It was like a prison. No one was allowed in or out without special permissions. They called me out on a mission. I accepted. The moment I got out, I thought about it. For the first time in 9 years, I felt real wind against my skin, not simulations of hurricanes or motorbike lessons. I saw a real tree, not the plastic ones they put in the indoor garden so it'll feel like nature. For the first time in my life, I was really and truly free. So I ran for it. I left the Lucians behind me, but they had not given up. They left their marks on me. I would forever remain what they made me because I couldn't change. This was the life of a Cahill. Betray or be betrayed. Run or be run down. Kill or be killed. But I would never kill Adaira. Now I was trapped again. Aaron wasn't going to let me go. I needed to get outside, to breathe in the fresh air, to be free. When you're imprisioned, the minutes turn into hours turn into days, weeks, months. They had said the Cahill family would be the death of me. Some said the Tomas, because I was a "weakling" and a "wimp" at running - one day, one of them would catch my throat and I'd be dead. Some said the Janus, I could never keep my balance on a tightrope. Janus do stuff like that. Others said the Ekaterina would be my end. I could never do the things we did to defend against them. I failed my classes in their area. I blew my cover when we simulated a co-op mission on their turf. I couldn't deactivate their bombs. What was the use hiding it anymore? I watched Adaira for a moment. She seemed happy. Happy without me. All of them were, I'm an awful person. They don't know how much I've killed and hurt to get out of my prisons. I'd be shamed for life if they did. There was really no denying it now. I wanted to die. Adaira- Rest Stop The air was sticky sweet when we all exited the car. I went in and out, and then decided to stretch my legs. The field surrounding the little building was lush and green. I wandered through the grass, letting the steam roll off. Aaron and I had just had a minor arguement over what we would get out of the vending machine. I threw my shoes over in front of Aaron's car, and then began to run through the grass. I just ran. Eventually I tripped and fell. Aaron came and picked me up, and made sure I was okay before he let me begin running again. I loved feeling the wind in my hair, stealing the sweat off of my back. Eventually I tired, so I sat on the ground, and lay down, staring at the clouds above my head. I heard a rustle. "Hello Kenzie." I said. Although I was not keen on talking with her, I was unable to sheath the happiness in my voice. "Hi Sh-Adaira." Kenzie was still getting used to my real name. "Join me." I invited, despite my better judgement. Oh well, even Kenzie couldn't pull me down. We lay there for a couple minutes, before she said: "How can you be so happy?" "What are you talking about?" I asked. "Hasn't all this ruined your life? Don't you ever wish that you were non-Cahill?" "Yeah, right. I'm going to decide when my life is ruined. I've got a life to live, and I don't plan on wasting it away, wishing that what has happened never did. Life is something to be treasured, not to be endured, Kenzie." "Easy for you to say." "No, not as easy as you may think." "What do you mean?" "There are days when I wish it all would end. I have had my share of grief. But life is way more fun if you realize how much we have been given. Just look at the beauty around us." "How can you see beauty when there is so much evil here? Adaira, this isn't a game. Life isn't something to be trifled with. It's hard and it's cruel. I can't waste my time stopping to smell the flowers. I've got to survive." "Kenzie, you have had a hard life. You have suffered and you have endured. And now that it is over, you can't let it go. That is why you can't see the things I see. That is why you don't treasure yourself." "No one wants me. I've killed people, Adaira. I am a common murderer. I have no worth." "You've changed Kenzie. You used to be someone who I considered a close friend. Now all you care about is staying away from everyone." "I want to be free. I can't live the life you live, Adaira. Freedom means everything to me now, and I can't let anyone tie me down, the way you have been." I gave Kenzie a big smile. She was so thick sometimes. "No Kenzie. I ''am free. I am free because I know that I am always going to have someone to help me. I'm always going to have people to support me who will help me through anything I may come across. I know I am loved. I have a reason for living. Maybe you should find your own." I got up and got into Aaron's car, ready to face the next step of our adventure. Kenzie - The Endgame I watched Shadow and Aaron. They were getting ready to leave. Aaron turned to call for me, I held up one finger. "Give me a second," I told him, and turned to walk back. The area around us was grassy with some trees. If I couldn't see Aaron, he couldn't see me. But I had to keep my shadow in check too. Adaira wouldn't be able to see me anyway. I wouldn't leave if I knew they wouldn't be able to make it on their own. I didn't know that though, I knew the complete opposite. Just like everything else, it was time to leave this life behind me and make a run for it. When life starts keeping you prisoner, it's time to find a new life. So, I did just that. The trees are multi-purpose. Sleep, hide, eat, drink, whatever someone clever enough to get what they want could ever need. My bad leg would hinder me a little, but I added that into the equation. I'd be able to make it. I knew I could. The question was, would I? Adaira- Leaving "Wait, where's Kenzie?" Aaron asked, looking into the back seat. "She isn't coming with us." I said softly. I knew she wouldn't. Aaron sighed and nodded. "Did you ask her?" He said low enough for only me to hear. I shook my head no. I really wished I had. Aaron slowly stuck the key into the ignition, and began to pull out. Roselle- Here we Go... While Kenzie found Shadow...again, I dragged me and Max to catch up with them. Andie claimed she had an important report to give to the Ekats, and had to leave. Oh, well. We went by motorcycle. Now, it was easy to find the funky van with the license plate I had memorized, they were on the highway somewhere. Evidently Aaron saw me in the sideview mirror, because he slowed down a teensy bit, enough for me to catch up next to him. "Aaron...did you find Adaira?" I asked. Shadow poked her head out behind Aaron. "Why are you here?" she asked. I rolled my eyes. "Because somehow I seem committed to you every time you run somewhere." I reply casually. Cars speed by us. "So, is Kenzie still here?" I ask Aaron. It's Shadow who answers. "No. She left. I didn't ask her to come." Max looks at Shadow. "You didn't ask her?" he asks. Shadow doesn't answer, and we continue driving on the highway. Adaira- Mulling Things Over I hadn't exactly told Roselle the truth, but that was perfectly fine with me. I mean, I didn't like her anyways. I was perfectly happy with Aaron being the only person who knew anything about me. Except I wasn't. Because I hadn't asked Kenzie the real question. I tried to tell myself that it was better that I hadn't asked Kenzie. She would have said no anyway. My heart would be hurting even more than it did at the present time. But... What if she said yes? What if she really wanted to be part of my family? Kenzie - Dead Ends and Blank Pages I looked over the scene before me. Quiet grain stalks, waving in the wind - a beautiful sunset, serenely watching over the miles around, where no building, no smoke, no person could be seen. Tall trees reached into the deep blues, purples, lilacs, and yellows of the heavens above. It was quiet... I feel the quiet winds against my skin, and my shoulders release tension I didn't realize existed. Rage, hatred, and seething burning ceased and fell away, I felt nothing. Just blankness. I felt the plants around me with gentle hands. Real. None of it was lies. I was in... a real world... For once in my life, I was among things that were real. It was amazing, what I felt - relief, release - and now I felt free. Free, for once. It felt good. I knelt in the grain stalks, and the wind brushed through them with ease. Soon enough, I fell asleep on a small patch of soft grass. Nicholas - Sights to See Once I arrived at Paris I realized I took a long flight because I saw Amy and Dan walk by, How did they follow me?! Hm, I guess I shoudn't of spent all those time stocking up.' ''I thought. I went outside of the airport got I got in a cab "Take me wherever that cab is going" I said, So I was following Amy and Dan and their babysitter. I looked outside and saw the glorius sights The Eiffel Tower, The Arc de Triumphe and lots more. ''Shut Up! You're not here to sightsee, You're here to risk you're life for ultimate power! I said to myself.